


It all started with flowers

by itsallaboutflowermetaphors



Category: Kuroshitsuji : The Most Beautiful DEATH in the World - Iwasaki/Mori/Mari, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Drabble, Floriography, Language of Flowers, M/M, Secret Admirer, Thorns of Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 02:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsallaboutflowermetaphors/pseuds/itsallaboutflowermetaphors
Summary: In which Alan has a secret admirer who leaves roses on his desk. Alan understands the language of flowers but who is sending them?





	It all started with flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flecksofpoppy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flecksofpoppy/gifts).



> I had the idea in January or February but no idea i actually finished it. Upon finding it again i decided to edit and publish it.

It all started with flowers.  
Thirteen yellow roses on Alan Humphries’ desk to be exact.  
They left him confused and flustered. He feared his colleagues would make fun of him; no one commented.  
Alan took the flowers home and pushed the incident to the back of his mind. He tried to focus on his work, only to some extent successfully though because he understood the language of flowers and knew what thirteen roses signified.  
They told him he had a secret admirer and Alan assumed it was some sick joke until he received eleven red roses. Truly and deeply loved, Alan remembered after counting them. He didn’t know what to do. The reaper wasn’t one to confront others and in this case he didn’t even know who to confront; so the young man kept quiet.  
He kept working, doing his best and fighting against the thorns.  
Alan hated being the weakest Shinigami, fated to die and death approaching faster with every attack. He feared losing everything he had worked for, would miss life after being given a second chance. Having committed suicide as a human only to be reborn as a Shinigami with a fatal illness; destined to die. Alan thought it was cruel.  
To a degree the young reaper enjoyed his new life, some of his colleagues became great friends and he liked being appreciated for doing good work.  
When he had started to collect souls Eric Slingby was assigned to supervise him; Eric was an experienced Shinigami, handling his Death Scythe skillfully.  
He tried to maintain a cool image - wore tinted glasses and had his ears pierced - but while spending time together the younger man was able to catch glimpses of a much more caring Eric. The Shinigami grieved for humans and held Alan tight during attacks. They became friends.  
And he listened when Alan told him about the language of flowers as they stood in a field of Ericas. Alan told him how Ericas were like him, representing solitude and how the thorns of death made him lonely. His friend had looked at him and started to speak in a low voice, “Look at these Ericas, they aren’t alone. They are surrounded by many others. You might feel like you are lonely but you aren’t. I will be there for you. I promise”

A few days after receiving the second bouquet the young reaper awoke with the sudden realisation that Eric must have send him the flowers. Only Eric knew he understood the language of flowers. Knew, he would understand the message send.  
He got up, lit a candle and started to look through his bookshelves until he found what he’d been looking for.  
On his way to work Alan purchased a flower and placed it carefully on top of a messy pile of papers covering Eric’s desk.  
He sat down behind his desk and tried to work but as soon as the blonde man entered the office, he just stared.  
Eric noticed the flower before he even sat down, looked up and met the others’ eyes. How couldn’t he? They were the only people in the small office. The blonde reaper picked up the flower and casually walked to Alan’s desk sitting down on it.  
“Hey Alan,” he said, “You know a lot about flowers, don’t you? Like, what they mean?  
The younger man nodded, incredibly nervous.  
Eric cocked his head to the side, expression puzzled.  
“A.. a s-single rose is said to depict uttermost devotion. As for the colour, a red rose represents ‘I love you’,” Alan answered.  
In this moment, after having named his feeling out loud, Alan decided to be brave and reached out, grasping Eric’s nape and pulling him closer to kiss him. The blonde man didn’t resist him, instead melted into Alan.  
“I love you, too,” he said softly after they parted, their foreheads still touching. Eric had a hand buried in in Alan’s hair and held him close, kissing him again a few moments later.

Months later, when they decided to to leave behind their glasses to live as outcasts, the men walked past blooming rose bushes and Alan stopped to pick a yellow rose.  
“To a new beginning,” he explained while giving Eric the rose and holding his other hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it.  
> It would mean the world to me if you left feedback (hell, point out typos and grammar errors, I'm not a native speaker :D) or drop prompts on my tumblr at itsallaboutflowermetaphors.tumblr.com  
> Floriography is based on this http://www.rkdn.org/roses/colors.asp which also inspired the fic in the first place.


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